1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to water-soluble lasing dyes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When dyes are used in lasers, they are usually dissolved in organic solvents. One widely used solvent is ethanol.
As a solvent, water offers advantages over organic compounds in that it is more readily available, less expensive, non-toxic and non-flammable. Additionally, water has a higher boiling point and greater heat capacity than do most commonly used organic solvents. Accordingly, considerable interest in the preparation of water-soluble laser dyes has developed.